TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan: Four Chinese balloons were detected moving across the median line separating Taiwan from China, with three flying directly above the island, Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, with the balloons initially appearing southwest of Ching-Chuan-Kang, a military airbase in Taiwan’s western Taichung city.
The ministry’s data revealed that one of the balloons reached a minimum altitude of 12,000 feet (3,658 meters). This marks the second consecutive day of balloon sightings above Taiwan, and it comes less than two weeks before the self-ruled island is set to hold a crucial election. The ministry began reporting such incidents last month, with a total of six occurrences in December.
Ou Sifu, a conflict expert from Taiwan’s Institute of National Defence and Security Research, characterized the balloons as tools for “military coercion and psychological warfare.” He highlighted their potential impact on the upcoming presidential election, suggesting that China may seek to influence more “pro-Beijing votes.” Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has increased military and political pressures against President Tsai Ing-wen’s government in recent years.
The heightened tensions involve various tactics, including the deployment of unprecedented numbers of warplanes and naval vessels around the island, termed “grey zone” tactics by conflict experts. These actions aim to intimidate Taiwan’s military.
Furthermore, Beijing has refused to engage with President Tsai during her tenure, as she does not recognize China’s claim on Taiwan. Deputy Lai Ching-te, a self-proclaimed advocate for Taiwan’s independence and the current frontrunner for the January 13 election has been labelled a “troublemaker” and a “separatist” by Beijing.
